Energy-based
therapies

Therapists believe that everyone has a special type of energy that can be worked on. Energy based therapies aim to improve your physical and emotional health, using little, if any, physical contact.

You might try:

Shiatsu and acupressure to ease feelings of pain. The therapist applies gentle pressure, gently stretches or holds areas of the body.

Reflexology to ease feelings of stress and anxiety. Some people find it also relieves symptoms such as feeling sick (nausea), tension, pain and fatigue. The therapist applies gentle pressure to specific points on the feet or hands.

Therapeutic touch, for example Reiki, gives some people valuable support. The practitioner applies gentle pressure to the body or work just above the surface.

There is no medical evidence that energy-based therapies will treat symptoms, but you may still find them relaxing and calming.

Reviewed: 30 Apr 2014 Next review: 2016

What are energy-based therapies?

Energy-based therapies are based on the theory that everyone has a special type of energy that can be worked on for health benefits.

There is no medical evidence that energy-based therapies have any effect on the cancer. Some may be used to try to treat symptoms, but there is no medical evidence that they help. Their most common effects are that some people find them relaxing and calming.

Some energy-based therapies rely on little, if any, physical contact for their effects. Others involve touch or body movements.

Energy-based therapies are available in some hospitals. If you are looking for these therapies somewhere other than in hospital, it’s important to check that the therapist or practitioner is trained, registered and insured.

Shiatsu and acupressure

Shiatsu is a Japanese form of massage. It’s based on the theory that health depends on the balanced flow of energy through certain channels in the body. Therapists believe placing pressure on these channels helps restore energy balance. They may also gently stretch or hold areas of the body to reduce stiffness and soreness.

Although some people feel shiatsu eases pain and other symptoms, there’s very little medical evidence to support this. But many people still find it a relaxing or uplifting experience.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a form of foot or hand massage related to acupressure. Reflexologists believe different areas on the feet or hands represent, and are connected to, different parts of the body.

They apply gentle pressure to specific points on the feet or hands. The aim is to help you feel more relaxed.

Reflexology has been used to try to improve symptoms related to cancer or treatment, such as:

feeling sick (nausea)

tension

pain

fatigue.

So far, medical evidence hasn’t proven that it’s effective when used in this way. But, some evidence shows that reflexology can help people feel more relaxed and many people use it to help ease stress and anxiety.

Therapeutic touch

In therapeutic touch, the practitioner uses touch or works just above the surface of the body. They believe this affects an energy field surrounding each person and they can act as a channel through which healing energy flows into the patient. There’s no medical evidence to show it helps with symptoms or side effects.

Some people feel that therapeutic touch gives them valuable support. When it’s used in a religious or spiritual way, it’s called spiritual or faith healing.

Reiki is another type of therapeutic touch developed in Japan. You sit or lie down and the practitioner gently places their hands on or just above your body. They use a sequence of positions that cover most of the body. You don’t need to remove any clothing. Each position is held for about 2–5 minutes or until the practitioner feels the flow of energy has slowed or stopped.

Many organisations can give you more information about therapeutic touch.

Thanks

We rely on a number of sources to gather evidence for our information. If you’d like further information on the sources we use, please feel free to contact us on: bookletfeedback@macmillan.org.uk

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